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MAIN 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 


The  John  J.  and  Hanna  M.  McManus 

Morris  N.  and  Chesley  V.  Young 

Collection 


The  fiEiT  nmmin 


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■MiiMWaMMMiiKi^f 


Now 
Revealed 


How 
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Written  tiy 


FOR  THE 
FIRST  TIME  J 


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IJDINI 


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Secrets  of  the  Great  Mysteries 

NOW 
Revealed   for   the   First    Time 

HANDCUFFS         IRON  BOX  IRON  BOTTLE 

IRON  BOILER      COFFIN  ROPE  CHAIR 

MAIL  BAG  BAND  BOX  TRAMP  CHAIR 

GLASS  CASE        PAPER  BAG  PACKING  CASE 

STRAIGHT  JACKET 


A  COMPLETE  GUIDE 

AND 
Reliable  Authority  upon  All  Tricks 

Full  Elxplanatiop  of    How  the   Various  Tricks 
are  Performed,  witti  Diagrams  and  Illustrations 

WRITTEN  AND  PUBLISHED  BY 

The    Handcuff    King,    "  OUDINI" 

II 


Copyrig^hted  1909 

By  Frank  J.  Rowan  and  E.  T.  Stewart 

All  Rig:hts  Reserved 

LOAN  STACK 

GIFT 


Notice. 

This  book,  with  all  cuts,  engravings,  cover  design, 
etc.,  is  protected  by  copyrights,  and  all  persons  are 
warned  against  attempting  to  use,  copy,  or  appropriate 
them  in  any  way.  All  such  attempts  will  be  prose- 
cuted to  the  full  extent  of  the  law. 


PREFACE 


In  publishing  this  book  a  faithful  endeavor  has 
been  made  to  present  all  the  best  tricks  that  the 
author  has  performed,  both  in  public,  in  theatres  and 
places  of  amusement,  and  in  private.  It  is  believed, 
then,  that  this  book  is  complete ;  containing  a  greater 
number  of  tricks  in  actual  usage  than  any  other  work 
yet  published,  with  full  explanations  and  illustrations 
in  regard  to  the  various  methods  of  escape,  as  used  by 
the  author. 

It  would  be  impossible  to  print  in  one  volume  the 
thousand  and  one  tricks  that  are  occasionally  per- 
formed. The  larger  proportion  of  such  tricks  have  but 
a  temporary  existence,  performed  to-day  and  forgot- 
ten to-morrow.  The  ingenuity  of  the  maker  of  new 
tricks  is  endless,  but  his  apparent  genious  generally 
amounts  to  nothing  more  than  the  changing  or 
blending  of  one  or  two  well-known  tricks  and  the  pro- 
duction of  an  inferior  trick. 

During  the  time  that  I  was  exhibiting  these  acts 
my  methods  of  preparing  for  and  exhibiting  my  tricks 
was  as  follows : — As  soon  as  I  knew  where  I  was 
to  play  I  would  send  my  advance  man  to  the  city  or 
town  to  make  arrangements.  If  there  was  to  be  an  es- 
cape from  a  packing  case  he  would  go  to  the  best- 
known  store  and  have  a  case  made  and  sent  to  the 
theatre  where  the  performance  was  to  be  given. 
He  paid  for  the  case  and  made  arrangements  with  the 
firm  to  have  one  or  two  men,  usually  shippers,  come 
on  the  stage  to  fasten  the  performer  in  the  case.  Ad- 
mission tickets  were  given  to  them.  The  firm  making 
the  case  becomes  the  challenger,  and  receives  a  great 
deal  of  advertising  from  it. 

On  my  arrival  I  would  prepare  all  the  apparatus 
myself,  never  letting  my  helpers  know  how  the  tricks 

860 


6  THE   GREAT   MYSTERIES 

were  done.  When  the  box  arrived  it  would  be  placed 
outside  of  the  theatre  with  a  sign  on  it  giving  the 
name  and  address  of  the  firm  making  it,  and  the  date 
when  the  performance  was  to  take  place. 

At  the  time  of  the  performance  an  invitation  is  al- 
ways given  for  any  of  the  audience  who  wish,  to  come 
on  the  stage  and  investigate  the  apparatus,  etc.,  and 
to  satisfy  themselves  that  everything  is  being  done 
right.  This  committee  is  received  by  my  assistant,  in 
uniform,  who  shows  them  to  the  chairs  on  the  stage 
while  I  am  making  my  escape  inside  of  the  cabinet. 
When  I  am  ready  for  the  cabinet  to  be  removed,  after 
the  escape,  this  assistant  blows  a  whistle  as  a  signal 
for  the  stage  hands  to  raise  the  cabinet,  which  is  ac- 
complished by  means  of  a  rope  dropped  over  the 
centre  of  the  stage. 

During  my  stay  in  a  city  or  town  I  change  my  tricks 
every  day,  giving  new  ones  at  each  performance. 

In  the  following  pages  you  will  find  full  descriptions 
showing  just  how  these  tricks  are  worked;  and  you 
must  remember  that,  while  they  seem  very  simple  and 
easy  after  you  have  read  the  explanations,  yet  a  great 
deal  of  time  and  thought  have  been  required  to  work 
out  these  apparently  simple  tricks,  and  also  that  they 
must  be  carried  out  with  accuracy  and  smoothness, 
as  any  hitch  in  the  performance  would  look  bad  and 
bring  suspicion  on  the  performer.  He  must  not  over- 
look any  detail  or  forget  any  part  of  his  apparatus. 
All  this  requires  considerable  experience,  and  careful 
study  of  the  work. 

There  will  be  found  in  the  back  of  this  book  a  few 
selections  from  the  numerous  press  clippings  that  have 
appeared  in  newspapers  and  elsewhere  in  reference  to 
my  work. 


THE   GREAT   MYSTERIES 


The  Cabinet 

Tiie  cabinet  is  the  first  piece  of  apparatus  to  be 
considered,  as  it  is  the  principal  thing  in  the  work. 
It  is  made  of  galvanized  iron  piping,  five-eighths  inch 


in  diameter,  arranged  as  shown  in  Fig.  1,  where  the 
curtains  are  drawn  aside  to  show  the  interior  con- 
struction.    There  are   three   horizontal   rods   running 


8  THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 

completely  around  it,  and  a  vertical  one  in  each  side 
besides  the  corner  posts. 

Where  the  rods  intersect  at  the  top  there  is  placed 
a  ring  bolt,  to  which  is  fastened  a  rope,  dropped  from 
above  the  stage,  so  that  the  w^hole  cabinet  can  be 
raised,  leaving  the  stage  free.  It  is  only  lowered  while 
the  escape  is  being  made.  The  cabinet  is  open  at  the 
bottom,  but  the  sides  and  top  are  covered  with  red 
velvet,  stretched  tightly  over  the  framework.  There 
is  also  a  lining  inside,  of  red  cloth,  but  not  such  ex- 
pensive material  as  the  outside.  Thus  the  framework 
never  shows,  either  from  the  inside  or  the  outside. 

Some  performers  use  a  stationary  cabinet  and  move 


'.lie  curtains  aside  to  enter  it,  but  I  have  found  this 
kind  preferable. 

The  various  instruments,  keys,  etc.,  which  are  to 
be  used  in  the  different  acts  must  be  concealed  in  the 
cabinet,  but  must  not  show  when  it  is  examined. 
Therefore  they  are  placed  in  the  horizontal  tubing, 
v.hich  is  prepared  by  having  the  upper  side  of  the 
tube  cut  away  for  a  large  part  of  its  length,  leaving 
the  lower  part  to  form  a  pocket  in  which  they  may 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES  9 

be  hidden,  as  shown  in  Fig  3,  and  covered  by  the  vel- 
vet and  the  lining.  Fig.  2  shows  a  section  through 
the  rod,  with  the  lower,  or  solid,  part  shaded,  and 
cloth  on  both  sides  of  it.     The  lining  has  openings  at 


convenient  points  through  which  the  keys,  etc.,  may 
be  reached.  The  performer  must,  of  course,  know  his 
different  keys  and  the  location  of  each  one,  so  that 
he  can  place  his  hand  on  any  one  instantly,  from  any 
position  in  which  he  may  be  placed. 


10  Tim    GREAT   MYSTERIES 


The  Handcuff  Expose 


It  has  always  been  a  most  mystifying  thing  to  the 
spectators,  to  witness  the  escape  of  a  performer  after 
being  locked  in  handcuffs,  leg  irons,  and  chains.  To 
see  him  free  himself  from  them  in  less  time  than  it 
took  to  place  them  on  him  has  seemed  to  most  people 
so  near  to  the  impossible  as  to  border  on  the  super- 
natural. 

It  is,  however,  like  many  of  our  best  tricks,  a  simple 
one  for  those  who  are  acquainted  with  the  secret.  Up 
to  the  present  tim.e  this  secret  has  been  known  to  very 
few  persons. 

Now  it  must  be  remembered  that  handcuffs  such 
as  are  used  by  our  modern  policemen  are  constructed 
with  soring  locks,  which  are  opened  by  means  of  a 
key,  which  is  placed  in  the  lock  and  turned  to  the 
right  or  left  to  release  the  spring. 

Handcuff'  kings  use  what  is  known  as  a  pick  or 
reach  key  in  escaping  from  all  handcuffs.  And  herein 
lies  the  whole  secret:  The  performer  uses  all  his  in- 
genuity in  concealing  his  keys  and  picks  about  his 
person  or  inside  of  his  cabinet,  which  is  generally  con- 
structed of  piping,  with  additional  pieces  which  appear 
to  be  regular  portions  of  the  framework,  but  are  only 
"ntended  for  keys,  tools,  etc.  Other  keys  the  per- 
former has  in  sundry  pockets  especially  made  for  this 
act,  and  so  arranged  that  he  is  able  to  place  has  hand 
upon  any  key  he  may  want,  when  placed  in  any  posi- 
tion. In  case  he  finds  it  impossible  to  reach  the  key 
he  wishes  to  use  while  locked  or  chained  in  a  certain 
position,  as  for  instance  in  Fig.  3,  he  can  find  dupli- 
cate keys  concealed  in  the  framework  of  his  cabinet, 


THE   GREAT   MYSTERIES 


11 


as  described  previously  in  this  work.  When  working 
in  a  suit  without  pockets,  as  in  Figs.  1,  2,  and  4,  the 
keys  must  all  be  obtained  from  the  cabinet. 


12  THE   GREAT'  MYSTERIES 

Let  us  now  turn  to  the  photographs,  which  have 
been   especially  taken   for  this  book,   and   which   will 


render  the  whole  process   very  clear.     In   Fig.   1   the 
performer  is   fastened  in   two  pairs   of  handcuffs,   in 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 


13 


14  THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 

such  a  position  that  it  seems  impossible  that  he  can 
ever  free  himself. 


By  retiring  to  his  cabinet  and  reaching  for  his  keys, 
he  is  able  to  open  the  handcuffs  and  remove  them. 


THE   GREAT   MYSTERIES  15 

This  can  be  done  by  moving  the  right  hand,  holding 
the  key,  around  until  it  can  be  inserted  in  the  hand- 
cuff on  the  left  hand.  The  chains  between  the  cuffs 
are  loose  enough  to.  allow  this  motion.  His  first  pair 
of  cuffs  to  come  off  are  the  ones  to  the  left.  The  other 
pair  can  be  taken  off  easily  with  a  second  key. 

The  handcuffs  in  this  cut  are  known  as  the  Bean 
handcuffs  and  the  old  English  Darby  cuff.  These  are 
further  described  in  the  chapter  on  handcuffs  and  keys. 

In  Fig.  2  the  performer  is  fastened  in  three  pairs 
of  handcuffs,  two  large  chains,  one  pair  of  leg  irons 
and  two  padlock^.  To  release  himself  he  takes  h.s 
keys  from  his  shoes  and  takes  off  the  padlocks  first 
and  then  the  chains.  The  weight  of  the  chains  now 
being  off*,  he  can  now  remove  the  handcuffs  more 
quickly  than  if  the  chains  were  on.  He  now  releases 
the  leg  irons,  which  leaves  him  free. 

Fig.  3  shows  the  performer  placed  in  one  pair  of 
handcuffs,  one  chain,  one  lock,  and  a  pair  of  irons 
around  his  arms.  To  release  himself,  he  first  takes  o  T 
the  handcuffs,  then  the  chains,  and  then  the  leg  irons 
around  his  arms. 

The  handcuffs  in  Figs.  2  and  4  are  one  pair  of 
figure  eight  handcuffs,  one  pair  of  Tower  handcuffs, 
which  have  a  double  lock,  and  one  pair  of  Bean  hand- 
cuffs and  Bean  leg  irons. 

In  Fig.  4  the  hands  are  fastened  behind  the  back, 
and  leg  irons  placed  on  the  arms.  These  are  connected 
with  chains  and  padlocks.  With  his  experience  the 
performer  is  able  to  readily  locate  the  keyholes  and 
quickly  remove  them,  as  described  under  Figs.  1  and  2. 

Now  that  the  methods  have  been  explained  and 
illustrated  it  will  be  readily  seen  that  there  is  nothing 
supernatural  about  the  handcuff  manipulation. 


16  THE   GREAT   MYSTERIES 


The  Iron  Boiler 

An  iron  boiler,  such  as  is  used  by  hotels,  is  seen 
upon  the  stage.  This  is  examined  by  the  committee 
to  see  that  there  is  no  defect.  The  performer  is  seen 
to  enter  the  boiler.  The  cover  is  then  placed  on  and 
two  rods  are  run  through  the  boiler  and  the  cover,  at 
right  angles  to  each  other,  and  padlocks  placed  through 
holes  in  the  ends  of  the  rods,  (four  in  all),  to  prevent 
the  cover  from  being  removed  from  the  inside.  The 
cabinet  is  then  placed  around  the  boiler,  and  after  10 
or  15  minutes  the  performer  appears,  free,  before  the 
audience.  Again  the  committee  examines  the  boiler, 
which  still  has  the  cover  in  place  and  locked  on.  No 
one  can  discover  how  the  escape  was  made  or  can  see 
any  change  in  the  apparatus. 

With  the  aid  of  the  accompanying  cuts  the  process 
will  be  shown.  Fig.  3  shows  the  appearance  of  boiler 
with  cover  in  place.  The  body  of  the  boiler,  "A,"  is 
made  of  heavy  galvanized  iron,  strongly  riveted  to- 
gether. The  cover  is  perfectly  solid  except  for  the  air 
holes,  as  shown.  The  rods  ''D"  are  metal,  about  five- 
eighths  inch  thick.  These  rods,  while  having  the  ap- 
pearance of  hard  steel,  are  really  made  of  softer  steel, 
which  can  be  bent  or  cut  with  a  hack  saw.  Fig.  4  is 
a  section  showing  how  the  cover  fits  inside  the  end  of 
the  boiler,  and  is  held  in  place  with  the  rods. 

To  Escape. — The  rods  are  grasped  in  the  middle  and 
can  be  bent  and  broken,  after  which  they  are  pushed 
out  and  fall  to  the  floor.  If  the  rods  cannot  be  broken 
the  performer  must  have  a  small  hack  saw  or  file  con- 
cealed about  him  with  which  to  cut  them. 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 


17 


The  cover  can  now  be  removed  and  the  escape  made. 
There  are  two  substitute  rods  of  hard  metal,  concealed 


A\r    \yo\e.  s 


ft 


in  the  cabinet.  These  are  now  put  in  place  through 
the  holes,  the  padlocks  are  removed  from  the  broken 
or  cut  rods,  by  means  of  duplicate  keys  or  pick,  and 


18 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 


placed  in  the  ends  of  the  substitute  rods,  so  that  the 
boiler  now  has  the  same  appearance  as  at  first. 


e^. 


Section     ihrouon    boiler. 
ficj.4- 


The  trick  can  also  be  performed  by  the  use  of  bolts, 
the  same  as  the  iron  box  trick,  which  is  described 
in  another  chapter. 


THE   GREAT   MYSTERIES  19 


The   Mail   Bag 


The  committee  from  the  audience  examines  the  mail 
bag  carefully,  inside  and  out,  and  find  it  perfect  in 
every  respect,  with  no  opening  except  at  the  top ; 
which  can  be  securely  fastened,  as  described  and  shown 
in  cuts. 

The  bag  is  made  of  leather  and  canvas,  and  is 
almost  air  tight.  The  canvas  part  of  the  bag  is  sewed 
by  machine  to  make  it  strong;  the  leather  part  of  the 
bag  is  sewed  and  riveted  to  the  canvas.  Fig.  1  shows 
the  style  and  appearance  of  the  bag  to  be  used.  "A" 
shows  canvas  part  of  bag,  made  large  enough  for  the 
performer  to  move  around  inside.  "B"  shows  the 
leather, part  of  the  bag,  which  lifts  back  to  allow 
entrance  to  the  bag.  "C,"  the  leather  strap  which  is 
to  pass  through  the  hasps  to  fasten  the  leather  top  in 
place.  **D"  the  hasps  that  the  strap  passes  through. 
"E"  the  lock.  (If  a  Corbin  lock  is  used,  with  the  key- 
hole on  the  bottom,  the  escape  can  be  made  much 
quicker  and  easier.)  "F"  a  small  strap  which  is  used 
to  help  close  the  opening  on  the  end  so  that  the  per- 
former can  not  pass  his  hand  out  while  he  is  inside. 
''G"  a  small  opening  between  the  bag  and  the  flap. 

Fig.  2  shows  appearance  of  the  bag  when  opened 
ready  for  the  performer  to  step  in. 

How  to  Prepare  for  the  Escape. — The  performer 
must  have  a  duplicate  key  for  the  lock  which  is  used. 
This  is  fastened  to  a  string,  as  shown  in  Fig.  3,  and 
the  other  end  of  the  string  tied  inside  of  the  clothing, 
so  that  it  cannot  be  lost  during  the  act.  The  per- 
former now  steps  into  the  bag.  Fig.  2,  and  is  locked 


20 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 


securely  as  in  Fig.  1,  after  which  the  cabinet  is  placed 
around  him.  He  now  takes  out  his  key,  sees  that  it 
is  securely  tied  to  one  end  of  the  string-,  leaving  the 
other  end  still  tied  to  some  portion  of  his  clothing, 
as  it  would  be  a  serious  matter  to  lose  the  key,  and  the 
escape  would  become  impossible,  and  pushes  the  key 
out  through  the  small  opening  between  the  bag  and 


Mail    Baq       fig.  1 


the  flap,  as  shown  in  Figs.  1  and  3.  After  the  key  is 
pushed  out  he  leans  over  so  that  the  key  comes  on  the 
upper  side  and  its  weight  holds  it  against  the  canvas. 
Now,  by  taking  a  fold  of  the  canvas  in  his  hand,  he  can 
grasp  the  key  and  fish  for  the  lock.  Having  found 
the  key  hole  he  can  insert  and  turn  the  key  and  re- 


THE   GREAT   MYSTERIES 


21 


move  the  lock,  then  pull  out  the  strap  "C"  from  the 
hasps  and  open  the  flap.  He  now  steps  out.  The  bag 
is  now  to  be  closed  and  locked  exactly  as  it  was  with 
the  performer  inside,  the  keys  concealed,  the  assistant 
is  signalled,  and  the  cabinet  removed,  showing  the 
audience  the  bag  and  performer  just  as  they  saw  them 
at  the  beginning  of  the  act. 


Fi9    z 


The  author  has  also  performed  this  act  handcuffed 
and  shackled  before  being  placed  in  the  bag,  escap- 
ing in  the  same  time  as  with  the  bag  alone.  He  has 
worn  six  pair  of  handcuffs  of  different  makes,  two 
chains,  and  three  makes  of  leg  irons,  and  several  locks. 


22 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 


This  is  done  as  follows :  While  the  bag  is  being  locked 
by  the  committee  he  is  removing  the  handcuffs,  as  de- 
scribed in  our  chapter  on  handcuffs,  starting  as  soon 
as  the  flap  is  closed  over  the  top.  By  the  time  the 
bag  is  locked  and  the  cabinet  in  place  he  has  the  hand- 
cuffs off ;   he  then  starts  the  escape  from  the  bag,  and 


y 


after  leaving  the  bag  removes  his  leg  irons.  All  the 
cuffs,  irons,  chains,  etc.,  are  then  placed  in  the  bag, 
the  cuffs  open  and  the  bag  locked  as  before. 

When  w^ell  executed  this  act  is  very  effective,  espe- 
cially with  the  addition  of  handcuffs,  etc.,  and  always 
receives  much  applause. 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 


23 


The    Glass    Case 

The  glass  case  used  in  this  act  is  made  to  order,  and 
is  quite  expensive,  being  made  of  one-quarter  inch 
glass  on  the  sides  and  top,  and  three-eighths  inch  glass 
on  the  bottom.     All  this  has  to  be  drilled  to  take  the 


Glass     case. 


bolts  for  the  corner  angles  and  hinges.  The  case,  as 
it  appears  on  the  stage  when  closed  and  locked,  is 
shown  in  Fig.  1. 


24 


THE   GREAT   MYSTERIES 


The  sides  "A"  are  solid,  except  for  air  holes  on  the 
two  ends.  These  are  held  together  by  clamps  "B," 
shown  at  larger  scale  in  Fig.  4.  The  top  *'C"  is  held 
by  the  hinges  "D,"  shown  full-size  in  Fig.  5.     Fig.  2 


Top 


/%    Cjlas 


es 


/  BoHom .%    C]|a55 


V/i-V/////^^^/^^  //^  ^  ^^^  ^. 


rig.  Z 


is  a  section  showing  sizes  and  arrangement  of  top, 
bottom  and  side.  Fig.  3  shows  at  full-size  how  the 
clamps  are  fastened  to  the  glass.  The  round-headed 
bolt  is  passed  through  a  hole  in  the  glass,  with  leather 
washers  next  to  the  glass  on  each  side,  then  it  passes 
through  the  clamp,  after  which  another  washer  is  put 
on,  and  a  small  padlock  passed  through  a  small  hole 
in  the  bolt  and   locked   in  place.     There  are  two  of 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 


25 


these   padlocks  to  each  hasp,   and  there   are  sixteen 
hasps  in  all. 

The  bolts  are  all  made  solid  except  those  for  the 
hinges,  which  are  made  as  shown  in  Fig.  5.  The 
heads  of  these,  while  appearing  to  be  made  solid  on 
the  bolt,  are  really  made  with  a  thread,  and  the  bolt 


«,icle    or  cae»e 


Leather 
washera 


Insid 


Ouf  stele, 
cf"  case  . 


is  tapped  to  receive  it,  so  that  the  head  can  be  re- 
moved. 

To  Escape. — The  heads  are  removed  from  the  hinge 
bolts  by  means  of  the  horseshoe  key,  which  is  also 
shown  in  Fig.  5,  and  which  fits  into  the  small  holes 


26  THE   GREAT   MYSTERIES 

shown  in  the  bolt  head.     When  these  heads  are  re- 


.XI 


£^ 


Fig.  4- 

moved  the  bolts  can  be  pushed  out  through  the  back 
of  the  case,  which  will  allow  the  hinges  to  hang  free 


"top 


Hinae 


'/ci      Glass 
back 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES  27 

from  the  glass,  and  the  cover  can  be  lifted  up  enough 
to  make  the  escape  without  disturbing  the  front  hasps 
or  bolts.  It  will  be  noticed,  in  this  and  other  tricks, 
that  a  great  part  of  the  effect  is  gained  by  making  the 
escape  through  some  part  of  the  apparatus  which  is 
not  suspected  by  the  audience,  leaving  that  part  on 
which  their  attention  is  fixed  untouched. 

After  escaping  from  the  case  the  performer  must 
replace  the  hinges,  bolts,  etc.,  which  is  done  as  in  the 
iron  box  trick.  That  is  by  removing  the  padlocks, 
screwing  on  the  bolt  heads,  and  then  drawing  the  bolts 
through  the  holes  in  the  glass  by  means  of  strings  tied 
through  the  holes  in  bolts,  after  which  the  padlocks 
are  snapped  in  place. 

The  cabinet  may  now  be  raised  and  the  act  is  com- 
pleted. I 


28 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 


The    Iron   Box 


This  trick  is  one  of  the  best  I  have  ever  exhibited 
in  public,  for  it  appears  to  the  audience  to  be  impos- 
sible to  execute,  and  is  extremely  mystifying.  It  is, 
however,  not  difficult  if  the  secret  is  known. 

Effect. — When  the  curtain  rises  the  iron  box  is 
seen  in  the  centre  of  the  stage,  with  six  chairs  on 
either  side  of  it  for  the  use  of  the  committee  from  the 
audience,  while  they  are  waiting  for  the  performer  to 
appear  after  making  his  escape  from  the  box.  An 
attendant  in  livery  makes  arrangements  for  the  per- 
former, and  the  committee  referees  the  proceedings. 
The  box  is  very  solid,  made  of  one-eight  inch   iron 


Iron     box 


sheets,  and  strongly  riveted  at  all  angles  and  corners. 
The  cover  is  the  same.  Four  holes,  one  in  each  side  of 
the  cover,  come  opposite  similar  holes  in  the  top  edge 
of  the  box.  These  are  for  the  bolts  to  pass  through 
to  fasten  the  cover  on. 

The  committee  thoroughly  examines  the  box,  inside 
and  out,  cover,  bolts,  etc.,  until  satisfied  that  all  are 


THE  GREAT  MYSTERIES 


29 


perfect.  The  performer  now  comes  on  the  stage,  ad- 
dresses the  audience,  accepting  the  challenge  to  escape 
from  the  box  and  issues  a  challenge  to  them  for  any- 
one to  bring  him  any  article  they  may  wish  for  him  to 
escape  from,  under  certain  restrictions.  He  then  steps 
into  the  box.  The  cover  is  placed  on  by  the  commit- 
tee and  the  bolts  passed  out  from  the  inside  through 
the  holes  just  mentioned,  and  shown  in  Fig.  1.  The 
nuts  are  screwed  on  tightly  and  the  cotter  pins  put  in 
place,  so  that  the  nuts  cannot  be  removed  or  the  bolts 
screwed  out  of  the  nuts. 


3      O     000*0000     "jvlO^ 


ooo     OO     o     OOOO 


Ftcj.  Z. 


The  cabinet  is  now  placed  in  position  around  the 
box,  and  the  committee  is  seated,  and  waits  for  the 
appearance  of  the  performer  after  Jiis  escape.  In  a 
few  minutes  he  appears  and  the  box  is  immediately 
examined.  It  is  found  to  be  exactly  as  it  was  left  by 
the  committee,  with  all  the  bolts,  etc.,  in  place  and 
no  means  of  escape  found. 

Explanation. — The  method  of  escape  is  as  follows : 
When  the  bolts  are  passed  out  through  the  holes  in 
the  cover,  the  solid  bolts  shown  in  Fig.  4  are  not  used, 


30 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 


but  those  shown  in  Fig.  3  are  substituted.  In  this 
bolt  the  head  "C"  can  be  removed  from  the  bolt  "D." 
This  is  the  head  on  the  inside  of  the  box,  and  it  will 
be  noticed  that  it  is  never  seen  by  the  committee,  so 
no  suspicion  is  aroused.  The  outside  of  the  bolt  is 
exactly  the  same  as  Fig.  4. 


fi 


§*• 


The  heads  of  these  bolts  are  removed  by  means  of 
a  small  wrench  which  has  been  concealed  until  this 
time,  and  the  bolts  can  be  pushed  out  until  they  fall 
to  the  floor,  allowing  the  cover  to  be  lifted  and  the 
escape  made.  After  the  escape  it  is  necessary  to  re- 
turn the  box  to  its  original  position,  which  requires 
a  little  more  thought.  The  original  four  bolts.  Fig.  4, 
are  placed  in  the  box,  but  the  nuts  are  removed  and 
kept  outside.  A  long  string  is  tied  through  the  hole 
in  each  bolt  and  passed  out  through  the  four  holes 
in   the   sides   of   the   box,    leaving   the   bolts   on   the 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 


31 


bottom.  Now  the  ends  of  the  strings  are  passed  out 
through  the  holes  in  the  cover  and  a  small  stick  tied 
to  the  end  of  each  string  to  prevent  it  from  slipping 
back  into  the  box  w^hile  working  on  the  others.  The 
cover  is  now  placed  on  so  that  the  holes  come  opposite 


Fi 


those  in  the  box,  and  the  bolts  are  drawn  up  and  out 
through  the  sides  of  box  by  means  of  strings.  Now 
the  strings  are  removed,  the  nuts  screwed  on,  and  the 
cotter  pins  placed  through  the  holes  in  bolts.  As  soon 
as  the  strings  and  extra  bolts  have  been  concealed  the 
cabinet  may  be  removed,  showing  the  box  still  bolted 
and  the  performer  outride  of  it. 


32 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 


The   Coffin 

This  is  a  most  spectacular  act,  and  gives  an  appear- 
ance of  great  mystery.  A  wooden  casket  is  seen  upon 
the  'stage  and  carefully  examined  by  the  committee. 


F» 


3- 


1 


The  cover  is  securely  screwed  on  with  two-inch  screws, 
and  the  screws  sealed  by  placing  a  one-cent  stamp 


Fig 


% 


over  the  head  of  each  one.    The  method  of  escape  will 
be  made  clear  by  the  accompanying  cuts. 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES  26 

Fig.  1  shows  the  appearance  of  coffin  before  the  cover 
is  placed  on,  and  Fig.  2  shows  the  same  with  the  cover 
in  place.  Fig.  3  is  the  bottom  which  is  to  be  removed 
in  making  the  escape.     "A"  represents  holes  through 


J  o 


Ft 


g.  a  -  5o^:io 


m 


which  dowels  are  inserted,  and  in  these  dowels  the 
long  screws  are  placed.  Thus,  while  the  bottom  ap- 
pears to  be  firmly  screwed  on  to  the  sides,  the  screws 
really  do  nothing  but  hold  the  dowels  to  the  bottom. 
Fig.  4  is  the  top  cover  of  casket,  with  the  screw 
holes  "B,"  fourteen  in  all.    This  cover,  when  in  place, 


Fig.  4-     -  Top 


extends  one-third  of  an  inch  beyond  the  sides  of  the 
casket.  Fig.  5  shows  the  manner  in  which  the  screw 
sets   into   the   dowel,   also   the   manner   in   which   the 


34 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 


dowel   sets   into   the   board.     ''A"   is   the   side   board, 
'*B"  the  screw,  and  "C"  the  dowel. 


The  method  of  escape  is  as  follows :  On  the  bottom 
board,  Fig.  3,  there  are  fourteen  dowels  like  that 
shown  in  Fig.  5.  These  set  into  Fig.  3  at  "A-A." 
After  the  dowels  are  in  place  and  the  casket  looks  as 


THE  GREAT  MYSTERIES  35 

in  Fig.  2,  the  bottom  cannot  be  taken  off  from  the 
outside. 

When  the  cabinet  is  in  place  the  performer  simply 
puts  his  hands  on  the  cover  and  pushes  upward,  which 
lifts  off  the  top  and  sides,  leaving  the  bottom  lying 
on  the  floor  with  the  performer  free.  He  now  replaces 
the  bottom  by  turning  the  casket  upside  down  and 
putting  the  dowels  in  position  again.  The  casket  is 
now  placed  in  position  again  and  the  cabinet  removed, 
showing  the  act  completed. 

This  trick  will  make  a  fine  appearance  if,  in  addi- 
tion, ropes  and  handcuffs  are  used. 


36 


THE  GREAT  MYSTERIES 


The  Band  Box 


The  Bandbox  trick  is  a  most  mystifying  one;  from 
the  nature  of  the  material,  it  would  seem  that  any 
attempt  to  make  an  escape  would  be  shown  by  the 
box  afterward. 

The  box  used  is  in  two  parts,  as  shown  in  Fig.  1  and 
Fig.  2.  The  inner  part,  Fig.  1,  is  open  at  the  top;  and 
after  the  performer  has  entered  it  the  outer  part,  Fig. 
2,  is  placed  over  it.  This  part  fits  on  loosely,  because 
otherwise  the  air  would  escape  so  slowly  between  the 
sides  of  the  two  parts  that  it  would  be  difficult  to  get 
it  on  or  off.  The  material  of  which  the  box  is  made 
is  heavy  pasteboard,  such  as  is  generally  used  for  this 
purpose. 


After  the  performer  is  inside  and  the  cover  in  place, 
ropes  are  tied  around  the  entire  box,  both  ways,  with 
the  knots  on  top.  Of  course  the  box  could  not  be 
lifted  with  a  man  in  it,  therefore  the  ropes  which  pass 
under  the  box  have  been  placed  there  before  he  enters 
it. 


THE  GREAT  MYSTERIES 


37 


To  escape,  the  rope  must  be  reached  and  cut,  and 
this  is  accomplished  by  means  of  specially  shaped 
knives,  which  can  be  placed  at  the  end  of  lengthen- 
ing bars  (Figs.  1  and  2)  as  shown  in  the  illustrations 


Fope 


1 


L 


Rop  e. 


Ou-lrc-r    CxDver 


Inner     B>o>i 


Knjj^e    wL-lh 
join-fed    hanale 


/  ^<^P' 


Fi 


on  the  opposite  page.  From  the  dimensions  given  it 
will  be  seen  they  can  be  concealed  about  the  clothing 
before  entering  the  box.  The  different  parts  are  then 
screwed  together,  making  a  handle  long  enough  to 


38  THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 

• 

reach  from  the  top  to  the  bottom  of  the  box.  With 
this  he  reaches  down  between  the  sides  and  cuts  the 
rope.  Sometimes  the  flat  knife  (Figs.  3  and  4)  will 
do  it  and  sometimes  the  curved  one  (Fig.  5),  or  the 
hooked  one  (Fig.  6),  must  be  used.  It  will  be  appar- 
ant  that  the  work  must  be  done  very  quickly,  for  the 
air  in  the  small  space  would  soon  be  exhausted,  mak- 
ing it  impossible  to  stay  in  it  more  than  a  minute  or 
two.  Therefore  the  knives,  etc.,  must  work  perfectly 
and  be  used  rapidly. 

After  cutting  the  rope  the  top  is  lifted  off  and  the 
escape  made.  It  is  then  placed  back  again,  and  a 
duplicate  rope  is  tied  on  in  the  same  way  as  the  first 
one.  This  rope  has  been  concealed  around  the  waist 
under  the  coat,  and  the  cut  rope  is  now  concealed  in 
the  same  way,  after  which  all  is  ready  for  the  removal 
of  the  canopy. 


I 


^^=^^ 


full 


^ixe. 


Knicre^     u&ecl    in. 
escaping      from    bandbox.  ^^ 


Fig. 6 


40 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 


The   Paper   Bag 


A  paper  bag  about  seven  feet  high  and  two  feet 
across  is  Seen  upon  the  stage.  A  committee  from  the 
audience  is  invited  upon  the  stage  to  examine  the  bag, 
w^hich  is  found  to  be  w^ithout  any  break  or  opening  of 
any  kind  except  the  opening  at  the  mouth  of  the  bag. 
After  being  securely  tied  in  this  bag  the  performer 
escapes  from  it  in  a  fev^  minutes,  leaving  the  bag  in 
the  same  condition  as  it  was  at  first. 


,."",  Arrange 
^"^  of  strjn 


me 


n-t 


f  la.  1 


fig 


Z 


Pape-r   5ag 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 


41 


Reference  to  the  accompanying  illustrations  will  ren- 
der the  proceeding  very  clear.  Fig.  1  shows  the  style 
and  appearance  of  the  bag  to  be  used. 

Fig.  2  shows  the  appearance  of  the  bag  after  the  per- 
former has  been  placed  inside  and  the  mouth  of  the 


r[<^.z> 


rig.  4 


bag  securely  tied  with  cord.    Glue  or  wax  is  also  placed 
in  the  mouth  of  the  bag  as  a  further  precaution. 

The  method  of  escape  is  as  follows :  In  the  seam 
caused  by  the  lapping  of  the  two  edges  of  the  paper 
there  is  placed  a  string  arranged  as  shown  in  Fig.  3, 
starting  about  eight  inches  from  the  top  of  bag,  and 
with  the  lower  end  about  six  inches  from  the  bottom. 
The  end  of  string  is  allowed  to  project  about  one-third 
of  an  inch  from  the  inside  of  the  bag  to  allow  the  per- 
former to  get  hold  of  the  string. 


42  THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 

Of  course  this  part  has  to  be  arranged  before  the  per- 
formance, although  a  bag  may  be  used  which  has  been 
furnished  by  challenging  parties  if  necessary. 

When  he  has  been  placed  inside  the  bag  and  the 
opening  secured  as  described  in  Fig.  2,  the  performer 
takes  hold  of  the  projecting  string  and  pulls  upward, 
which  releases  the  string  and  causes  the  seam  to  open 
for  the  entire  distance  that  the  string  was  concealed, 
as  shown  in  Fig.  4.  Through  this  opening  the  escape  is 
made. 

After  emerging  from  the  bag  it  is  necessary  to  re- 
place the  parts  in  the  original  position,  so  that  the  bag 
will  have  the  same  appearance  as  at  the  beginning  of 
the  act.  This  is  accomplished  by  pasting  the  edges 
of  the  seam  together  as  they  were  in  the  first  place, 
and  allowing  time  for  the  paste  to  dry  before  having 
the  canopy  opened  or  removed. 

It  should  be  noted  that  the  seam  is  held  together  at 
first  with  a  flour  paste  which  will  separate  easily  when 
the  string  is  pulled,  but  the  paste  used  after  escaping 
should  be  a  quick-drying  glue  which  should  dry  in  two 
or  three  minutes.  Thus  the  act  can  be  entirely  accom- 
plished in  five  to  eight  minutes. 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 


43 


The  Iron  Bottle 

An  iron  bottle,  having  the  appearance  shown  in  the 
upper  figure,  is  seen  standing  on  the  stage,  and  is 
shown  to  the  committee  for  examination.  It  is  found 
to  be  made  in  one  piece,  of  iron  of  the  same  thickness 


■a 


-xe, 


3a 


r< 


Djamefer . 


I 


ron 


boHl 


as  that  used  in  the  iron  box.  The  cover  is  made  of  the 
same  material  and  fits  closely  over  the  top  of  the 
bottle.  Through  the  top  edge  of  the  bottle  there  are 
four  holes,  and  in  the  cover  four  corresponding  holes 
through  which  rods  can  be  placed. 

These   rods    are   then    fastened   with   the   padlocks 
through  the  holes  in  the  end,  as  shown. 


44 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 


This  trick  is  a  variation  of  the  iron  boiler  trick.  The 
rods  are  made  of  soft  untempered  steel,  and  to  escape 
the  performer  bends  them  downward.  Sometimes  they 
will  break  upon  being  bent,  and  sometimes  they  must 
be  cut  with  a  hack  saw  or  file.    Then  they  are  pushed 


Top      Vieoj 


out  of  the  holes,  the  cover  lifted  and  the  escape  made. 
The  substitute  rods  are  then  put  in  place  and  the  pad- 
locks put  on  again. 

This  trick  can  also  be  performed  with  bolts,  the  same 
as  the  iron  box  trick. 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES  45 


How  to  Escape  from  the  Roped  Chair 

It  is  a  very  mystifying  thing  to  an  audience  to  see 
a  man  securely  tied  to  a  chair  with  about  thirty  feet  of 
rope,  with  his  hands  tied  together  behind  the  chair, 
and  his  legs  and  feet  tied  to  the  chair  legs,  and  yet 
see  him  make  his  escape  in  about  five  minutes. 

The  author  has  repeatedly  done  this,  being  tied  in 
all  kinds  of  ways,  and  in  some  cases  where  it  seemed 
impossible  to  escape,  but  has  always  succeeded  in  doing 
so. 

This  act  is  performed  in  direct  view  of  the  audience, 
and  does  not  depend  upon  any  trick  or  deception,  but 
is  really  the  result  of  practice,  muscular  expansion  and 
contraction,  and  a  knowledge  of  the  properties  of  the 
rope  used.  Any  man  with  sufficient  practice  and  con- 
fidence could  learn  to  do  it. 

The  writer  does  it  as  follows.  First  he  specifies  the 
rope  to  be  used,  and  selects  a  new  clothes  line.  He 
makes  no  restrictions  as  to  methods  of  tying  or  kinds 
of  knots  to  be  used,  but  while  being  tied  he  relaxes 
the  muscles  of  the  body,  and  draws  in  the  chest  as 
much  as  possible.  At  the  same  time  he  expands  the 
muscles  of  the  arms  and  legs.  The  muscles  are  kept 
well  developed  so  as  to  produce  the  greatest  effect  in 
doing  this. 

Now,  after  the  committee  has  tied  him  to  their  sat- 
isfaction, he  expands  his  chest  and  the  muscles  of  his 
body  as  much  as  possible.  This  causes  the  rope  to 
stretch  quite  a  little.  This  is  the  reason  a  new  clothes 
line  is  selected.  It  will  stretch  more  than  an  old  one, 
which  has  had  the  life  taken  out  of  it,  and  a  clothes 
line  will  stretch  more  than  most  other  kinds  of  rope. 


46  THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 

This  expansion  may  have  to  be  repeated  quite  a  num- 
ber of  times,  stretching  the  rope  a  little  more  each 
time. 

Now  all  the  muscles  on  the  body,  arms  and  legs  are 
contracted,  and  it  is  found  that  the  rope  hangs  quite 
loosely.  The  hands  are  then  worked  until  they  are 
free,  or  can  reach  some  knot  which  will  release  some 
portion  of  the  rope,  after  which  he  simply  continues 
the  same  process  until  the  rope  is  all  removed. 

In  order  that  the  methods  may  not  be  too  apparent, 
and  to  make  the  act  more  striking,  the  performer  does 
not  remain  in  one  place,  but  pulls  the  chair  to  its  side 
and  rolls  about  on  the  stage  during  the  escape,  some- 
times in  view  of  the  audience  and  sometimes  concealed 
behind  the  chair. 


THE   GREAT   MYSTERIES 


47 


Tramp  Chair  Escape 

A  tramp  chair,  such  as  the  farmers  of  Maine  once 
used  to  keep  tramps  in  overnight,  is  seen   upon  the 


Fig.    I 
Tr,amp   Chair, 

stage.  This  is  made  of  heavy  iron  straps  interlaced 
as  shown  in  the  illustrations.  It  is  provided  with  a 
seat    inside,    and    is    fastened    by    placing    a    padlock 


48 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 


through  two  hasps,  ofie  of  which  is  attached  to  the 
front  corner  and  one  to  the  door,  so  that  when  the  door 
is  closed  they  come  one  over  the  other  and  close  to- 
gether. There  is  an  iron  plate  on  the  door  behind  the 
lock  to  prevent  it  from  being  reached  from  the  inside. 


rig-,  a 

Tpamp     Chair. 

The  door  is  hung  on  a  long  hinge  running  the  full 
length  of  the  door.    The  floor  is  of  solid  sheet  metal. 

The  appearance  of  the  tramp  chair  is  shown  in  Fig. 
1,  and  it  looks  like  Fig.  2  when  it  is  closed.    The  per- 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 


49 


l.f 


Fig.  5 

former   is   placed   inside   and   the   padlock   is   slipped 
through  the  hasps  and  locked.    As  an  additional  pre- 


50  THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 

caution  chains  are  passed  back  and  forth  through  the 
openings  or  the  iron  straps,  and  these  are  also  fastened 
with  padlocks  as  shown  in  Fig.  2.  All  this  has  been 
done  by  the  committee  after  they  have  made  a  thor- 
ough examination  of  all  the  apparatus,  and  the  per- 
former now  seems  very  securely  fastened  in. 

Method  of  Escape. — Referring  to  Fig.  3b,  it  will  be 
seen  that  there  is  a  special  arrangement  of  the  upper 
section  of  the  long  hinge.  By  reaching  through  the 
openings  the  rod  can  be  pulled  down  until  the  round 
knob  can  be  reached.  This  is  then  grasped  between 
two  fingers  and  unscrewed.  It  can  now  be  re- 
moved. This  will  allow  the  rod  to  be  lifted  through 
the  hinge  until  it  is  entirely  removed  through  the  top, 
after  which  the  two  parts  of  the  hinge  will  come  apart. 
The  door  can  now  be  swung  open  on  the  hinge  side 
without  touching  the  side  where  the  locks  and  chains 
are. 

The  performer  can  now  step  out  through  the  opening 
and  close  the  door  again,  fitting  the  parts  of  the  hinge 
back  into  their  places.  Then  the  rod  is  slipped  down 
into  the  hinge  again  and  the  knob  screwed  on  the  top 
end  of  it.  After  this  the  rod  is  raised  until  the  knob 
is  out  of  sight  in  the  upper  section  of  the  hinge,  and 
the  escape  is  completed,  ready  for  the  removal  of  the 
canopy.  This  trick  is  one  of  the  most  baffling  to  those 
who  do  not  know  the  secret,  for  everything  seems  so 
secure  and  solid  that  escape  appears  impossible,  and 
the  hinge  would  be  the  last  place  to  be  suspected. 


THE  GREAT  MYSTERIES  51 


The  Packing  Case 

The  packing  case  used  in  this  trick  is  large  enough 
to  hold  the  performer  easily,  about  three  feet  each  way. 
It  is  made  of  ^-inch  white  pine  boards  with  all  joints 
matched,  and  is  strongly  nailed  with  8  or  10  penny  wire 
nails.  It  is  fitted  with  strong  hinges  and  hasps,  which 
are  fastened  with  padlocks.  This  case  is  one  that  is 
carried  with  him  by  the  performer,  but  he  can  also 
escape  from  a  case  which  is  made  outside  and  brought 
in  on  a  challenge.  This  method  will  be  explained 
shortly. 

The  committee  is  allowed  to  examine  the  box,  etc., 
and  to  use  their  own  padlocks  in  fastening  the  hasps. 
As  each  member  of  the  committee  may  have  a  padlock 
of  their  own  that  they  wish  to  use,  and  as  only  two 
can  be  used,  there  is  frequently  a  dispute  among  them 
as  to  which  shall  be  used. 

The  performer  allows  them  to  settle  this  among 
themselves  and  is  then  placed  in  the  case,  the  cover 
is  closed  and  locked,  the  cabinet  is  placed  over  it,  and 
in  a  few  minutes  the  escape  is  made,  the  canopy  re- 
moved and  the  packing  case  shown  to  the  audience, 
locked,  etc.,  the  same  as  at  first. 

Referring  now  to  the  cuts,  we  will  explain  the 
process.  Fig.  1  shows  the  packing  case  as  it  appears 
open  at  the  commencement  of  the  act.  Fig.  2  shows 
the  case  closed  after  the  performer  has  been  placed 
in  it,  and  the  padlocks  in  place.  Fig.  3  shows  the  sec- 
tion of  the  case  wherein  the  trick  lies.  This  is  a  sec- 
tion through  the  front  corner  of  the  case,  looking  down. 
"A"  is  the  front  board  of  the  case  on  which  the  locks 
are  placed.  "B"  the  cleat  which  runs  entirely  around 
the  top  of  the  case,  inside,  as  shown  in  the  open  view. 
Fig.  1.  This  cleat  is  fastened  with  screws  all  around, 
One  of  which  is  shown  in  "C,"  Fig.  3.    There  are  three 


52 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 


screws  in  each  cleat.  "D"  is  the  hasp  that  holds  the 
lock  and  cover  in  place,  and  which  are  held  on  by  the 
screws  "E,"  which  are  really  machine  screws,  but  have 
heads  giving  the  appearance  of  ordinary  wood  screws. 
These  screws  are  fastened  on  with  nuts  on  the  inside 
of  the  front  boards,  and  the  front  cleat  has  counter 
sunk  holes  "R,"  so  as  to  fit  over  these  nuts  and  lie 
close  to  the  case. 


ri 


9 


To  Escape. — xA^fter  the  performer  is  in  the  box  and 
the  cabinet  in  place,  he  takes  a  small  screw  driver 
which  he  has  concealed  about  him  and  removes  the 
three,  screws  from  the  front  cleat.  Fig.  3,  "C,"  and  re- 
moves the  cleat.    This  allows  him  to  get  at  the  nuts,. 


THE  GREAT  MYSTERIES 


S3 


.four  in  each  hasp,  which  he  now  removes.  He  can  now 
push  out  the  machine  screws  **E/'  which  will  free  the 
locks  from  the  front  of  the  case.  This  will  allow  the 
cover  to  lift  up  and  the  performer  can  step  out. 

He  now  takes  off  the  locks  from  the  hasp  and  puts 
the  hasps  back  in  place,  fastening  them  on  again  with 
the  little  nuts.  Then  the  cleat  '*B"  is  fastened  on  again 
with  the  screws  "C."     The  cover  is  now  closed,  and 


fig 


%' 


the  padlocks,  which  have  been  opened  with  duplicate 
keys,  sprung  in  place  on  the  hasps,  and  the  case  is 
locked  as  at  first,  and  shows  no  signs  of  having  been 
tampered  with. 

Handcuffs  can  also  be  used  in  this  act,  as  described 
elsewhere  in  this  book. 

The  escape  from  a  box  which  has  been  prepared,  and 
has  the  cover  nailed  on,  is  as  follows.  The  performer 
has  concealed  on  his  person  a  very  compact  jack 
worked  by  a  rachet,  which  is  made  in  sections  so  as 
to  be  carried  in  different  parts  of  the  clothing.    When 


54 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 


this  is  put  together  it  has  sufficient  leverage  to  pry  off 
one  of  the  boards,  through  which  the  escape  is  made. 
This  is  generally  a  top  board,  because  these  are  not 
matched.  The  jack  is  held  against  the  hip  or  shoulder 
and  worked  first  at  one  end  of  the  board  and  then  at 
the  other,  so  as  to  pry  out  the  nails  evenly.  If  the 
boards  are  matched,  the  whole  side  of  the  box  must  be 


pried  off,  which  will  take  a  little  longer.  After  escap- 
ing the  nails  are  fitted  ]Dack  in  the  same  holes  and 
forced  into  place,  using  the  jack  also  to  do  this.  If 
carefully  done  this  will  not  make  a  noticeable  noise, 
and  there  will  be  no  marks  to  show  on  the  wood. 

This  also  can  be  performed  by  using  dowels,  the 
same  as  described  in  the  escape  from  the  coffin. 


THE  GREAT  MYSTERIES  55 

Escape  from  Straight  Jacket. 

This  act  is  also  performed  in  view  of  the  audience. 
The  performer  stands  in  the  centre  of  the  stage  and 
the  straight  jacket  is  examined  and  placed  on  him  by 
the  committee. 

The  regulation  straight  jacket  is  made  of  canvas, 
with  long  sleeves,  which  are  closed  at  the  ends,  and 
are  provided  with  strings  running  from  the  ends.  It 
is  placed  on  as  if  it  were  a  vest  with  the  opening  to- 
ward the  back,  and  is  then  laced  up  the  back,  fitting 
closely  and  tied  with  knots.  Then  the  sleeves  are 
crossed  over  the  chest  and  tied  with  the  strings  behind 
the  back.  This  prevents  the  use  of  the  hands  or  arms, 
and  in  the  case  of  a  violent  or  insane  patient  prevents 
them  from  injuring  themselves  or  others.  A  strap  is 
then  tied  underneath  to  prevent  it  from  coming  up. 

This  act,  like  the  escape  from  the  chair  and  rope, 
depends  mostly  on  practice  and  considerable  strength. 
The  first  object  of  the  performer  is  to  pull  the  arms 
over  the  head.  To  do  this  he  works  his  arms  until  the 
rope  stretches  somewhat,  and  perhaps  the  knots  will 
give  a  little.  After  working  for  a  few  moments  he 
finds  that  he  can  pull  his  arms  over  his  head.  This 
gives  much  more  freedom  to  the  arms,  and  he  can 
move  them  about  easily.  He  now  gets  hold  of  the 
knots  through  the  canvas  of  the  sleeves  and  unties 
them,  after  which  he  can  pull  out  the  lacing.  Next 
he  unbuckles  the  strap  at  the  bottom  of  the  jacket  and 
slips  the  whole  thing  over  his  head. 

This  act  can  usually  be  accomplished  in  about  five 
minutes  if  necessary,  but  more  time  is  usually  taken 
so  that  it  will  not  appear  too  easy.  As  in  the  escape 
from  the  chair,  the  performer  usually  rolls  about  on 
the  stage  during  the  act,  for  the  same  reason  as  stated 
in  the  former  description. 

Many  handcuff  kings  use  straight  jackets  which  have 
been  prepared  so  that  they  can  remove  them  in  a 
minute  or  two,  but  the  above  description  applies  to 
the  one  which  is  used  in  hospitals,  jails,  etc. 


56 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 


tjow  to  Escape  from  the  Bean  Giant  Handcuff 

The  Bean  Giant  handcuffs,  so  called  from  the  in- 
ventor, Captain  Bean,  are  known  all  over  this  country 
to  the  police  and  handcuff  kings  as  the  hardest  cuff 
to  escape  from  if  placed  on  with  the  hands  behind 
the  back  and  the  keyhole  toward  the  body,  as  shown 
in  Fig  5. 


Pig 


1 


Fig.  1  shows  the  appearance  of  the  Bean  handcuff. 
Fig.  2  is  the  original  key  that  comes  with  the  cuff. 
Fig.  3  shows  what  is  known  as  the  Bean  Giant  reach 


key.  Fig.  4  is  the  pick,  which  is  made  from  a  button- 
hook, straightened  out,  and  which  will  open  the  cuff 
a  good  deal  quicker  than  the  key  itself. 


THE  GREAT  MYSTERIES  57 

Fig.  5  shows  the  performer  placed  in  one  pair  of 
Bean  Giant  handcuffs  with  the  hands  behind  the  back 
and  the  keyhole  toward  the  body;  a  most  difficult 
position  to  escape  from. 


Fig.  6  shows  the  chair  to  be  used,  which  has  the 
appearance  of  an  ordinary  chair,  but  which  has  been 
prepared  as  shown  in  Fig.  8,  and  is  used  in  the  posi- 
tion shown  in  Fig.  7.  Fig.  8  is  an  enlarged  view  of 
the  end  of  the  leg  which  has  been  prepared.     It  has  a 


ri< 


saw  cut  as  shown,  but  which  is  so  small  that  it  would 
not  be  noticed  in  an  ordinary  examination,  and  even  if 
noticed  its  use  would  not  be  guessed. 

The  performer  enters  the  cabinet  and  turns  the  chair 
on  its  back  as  shown  in  Fig.  7,  bringing  the  leg  with 
the  saw  cut  up  and  forward.  He  now  bends  to  his 
knees  beside  the  chair  with  his  face  towards  the  chair 
back,  and  brings  his  hands  in  contact  with  the  end  of 


58 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 


the  chair  leg,  having  first  placed  in  the  saw  cut  the 
pick  or  key  where  it  is  firmly  held.  The  pick  is  pre- 
ferable to  the  key  in  this  case,  as  the  key  will  some- 


Fig.  5 


times  break  under  the  severe  test.  The  cuffs,  being 
thus  placed  in  contact  with  the  pick  or  key,  when  the 
correct  position  has  been  taken  it  will  enter  the  key- 
hole and  the  lock  will  be  sprung  open,  allowing  one 
side  of  the  cuff  to  be  removed.  After  this  the  other 
side  may  be  removed  more  easily,  completing  the  act. 

It  must  be  understood  that  this  trick  is  not  so  easy 
to  learn  or  to  execute  as  might  be  supposed  by  reading 
this  description.     The  author  spent  many  weeks  of 


THE  GREAT  MYSTERIES 


59 


practice  before  finding  the  best  position  for  holding 
the  hands  and  body. 


W/y  ' 


If  only  a  running  suit  is  worn  the  key  may  be  con- 
cealed by  being  tied  around  the  leg,  or  it  may  be  kept 
in  the  cabinet,  or  placed  under  the  sole  of  the  foot  with 
glue. 

After  removing  the  cuffs,  the  key  is  taken  from  the 
chair  leg  and  concealed,  the  chair  is  set  in  position 


agajn,  and  the  performer  shows  the  open  handcuffs 
to  the  audience  or  challenger. 

Up  to  the  present  time  the  author,  Oudini,  has  been 
the  only  man  possessing  the  secret  of  this  escape,  and 
to  the  best  of  his  knowledge  and  belief  it  has  been 


60 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 


unsuccessfully  tried  by  any  other  man  in  the  business. 
He  is  still  open  to  challenge  in  regard  to  it. 


fig.  6 


The  chair  is  kept  from  sliding  by  being  placed 
against  the  side  of  the  cabinet,  and  is  further  held,  if 
necessary,  by  placing  the  knee  in  the  lower  part. 

If  this  act  is  performed  in  a  dress  suit,  as  is  usually 
done,  the  pick  or  key  is  concealed  about  the  clothing. 


THE  GREAT  MYSTERIES  61 


Description  of  Handcuffs 

Until  about  five  years  ago,  people  who  were  not 
particularly  interested  in  the  subject  or  who  had  no 
connection  with  police  methods  were  entirely  unfa- 
miliar with  handcuffs.  To-day,  however,  owing  to 
the  public  exhibitions  of  handcuff  kings,  who  make 
their  escape  from  any  handcuff  presented  to  them,  the 
public  has  become  more  used  to  the  appearance  and 
working  of  them,  and  often  the  make  of  the  more 
common  ones  can  be  recognized.  So  the  subject  is 
not  so  mysterious  as  it  was  formerly.  The  methods 
of  escape,  however,  have  been  very  mystifying  until 
now,  when  we  propose  to  tell  just  how  the  trick  is 
done.  This  will  be  found  in  this  book  under  "Hand- 
cuff Manipulation." 

We  will  here  describe  a  few  forms  of  handcuffs 
which  are  shown  in  the  accompanying  pages.  The 
figure  eight  cuff  comes  from  England.  This  cuff  is 
named  from  its  peculiar  shape,  and  is  made  in  one 
piece,  having  only  one  lock  instead  of  two,  as  the 
Darby  cuffs  have.  One  variety  of  this  cuff  is  in  gen- 
eral use  in  Ireland. 

You  will  sometimes  see  a  handcuff  king,  when 
placed  in  a  pair  of  handcuffs,  remove  them  easily  by 
striking  them  a  sharp  blow  on  his  boot  heel  or  other 
hard  object,  without  taking  the  trouble  to  retire  to 
his  cabinet.  This  can  be  done  with  some  of  the  Eng- 
lish cuffs,  but  cannot  done  with  other  makes,  as  for 
instance  the  German  cuff  known  as  the  Stotz.  This 
is  the  only  type  of  German  cuff  generally  known  or 
used  in  this  country.  The  lock  is  similar  to  the  Darby 
cuff,  but  it  is  lighter  and  of  finer  finish  than  the  Eng- 
lish cuff. 

The  leg  irons  known  as  the  Lilley  iron  is  very  un- 
usual in  shape,  and,  as  can  be  seen  from  the  cut,  very 
effective.     It  was  invented  by  a  sergeant  of  marines 


62  THE  GREAT  MYSTERIES 

in  the  U.  S.  army,  but  who  was  really  a  Frenchman, 
during  the  civil  war.  This  pattern  of  leg  Irons  was 
used  in  the  confederate  prisons  during  the  war  on 
Union  prisoners.  A  curious  fact  is  that  the  inventor, 
while  under  temporary  restraint,  died  in  a  pair  of  his 
own  irons. 

An  interesting  variety  of  cufif  is  known  as  the  thumb 
cuff,  and  is  used  as  its  name  suggests.  This  type  is 
not  new.  It  was  used  in  the  Bastille  during  the  French 
Revolution  on  political  prisoners.  A  later  type  of  this 
cuff  was  invented  by  Captain  Bean  of  the  Boston 
police  force,  who  also  invented  the  cuff  known  as  the 
Bean  Giant,  which  we  show  and  describe  in  another 
place.  The  thumb  cuff  is  very  small  and  light,  and 
at  first  sight  it  would  not  appear  to  be  very  effective, 
but  when  placed  on  it  will  hold  the  most  powerful 
prisoner,  for  all  his  efforts  only  make  it  tighter,  and 
he  has  no  way  to  use  his  strength  in  removing  it. 

The  Darby  cuff,  which  has  been  mentioned,  is  an 
English  cuff.  They  were  formerly  in  general  use  all 
over  the  world,  especially  on  shipboard,  but  have  now 
been  mostly  replaced  by  lighter  and  more  modern 
styles.  They  are  opened  by  a  large  key,  which  must 
be  turned  a  certain  number  of  times  in  one  direction, 
and  then  pulled  in  another.  It  takes  some  time  to  open 
them,  but,  on  the  other  hand,  they  may  be  opened 
by  striking  the  hinge  sharply  against  a  solid  sub- 
stance, as  mentioned  above. 

The  cuffs  of  American  invention  are  more  numerous 
and  show  more  ingenuity  than  those  of  any  other 
country. 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 


63 


A  Few  Pairs  of  Modern  and  Antique  Handcuffs, 
Nippers  and  Twisters,  with  Picks  and  Keys 


Bean  Cuff,   Rare 


64 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 


An^^LQue    kancl  iron 


Tower    single    lock    hanclcu4r 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 


65 


E>lcLkcLeus>2> 
police     nipperd 


Cham    tu;t2)'ter& 


PhilUps,     nippers 


66 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 


RoTDiers 
nandcu 


tr 


Y:>ean     lea     irons 


THE  GREAT  MYSTERIES 


67 


Anli 


iG^ue     leg    irons 


AnliQue     leg    e>hacklee> 


68 


THE   GREAT ^  MYSTERIES 


Old    LncjltsK   leg  irons 


chain     6i   j4    long 


Tower    leg    ironp 
^\{h     boll     cincl   chain 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 


^ear\ 


handcufj 


fiankin    Paieni 
U.  5.NaLrq  leg  irons 


70 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 


Nauu   hand    £>^  lea    irons 


fngilsK  <^*.»ff 


THE  GREAT  MYSTERIES 


71 


©)   (© 


u 


Towel*    tjingle 
lock    reacU  kcv 


Antiq.vje 


AnK 


jgua 


Cum  mtnq 


n 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 


AfiT'^Ui 


5ec.n    cutj 


bean  Gioni 


Tower 


THE  GREAT  MYSTERIES 


73 


Ac\oirMj  ^ujj 


74  THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 


Comments  by  the  Press 

"Oudini,"  the  mysterious  second  Houdini,  will  give  exhibi- 
tions at  the  Park  Square  Rink  during  next  week,  each  afternoon 
and  evening.  On  Monday  night  he  will  be  handcuffed,  chained 
and  shackled,  and  will  free  himself.  On  Tuesday  afternoon  and 
evening  he  will  be  placed  in  a  mail  bag  and  handcuffed  and 
locked  with  a  Corbin  lock.  On  Wednesday  afternoon  he  will 
be  locked  within  a  galvanized  iron  boiler,  made  by  the  Riverside 
Boiler  Works.  He  is  open  to  all  challenges  and  invites  in- 
spection of  all  his  properties. — Boston  Globe,  Feb.  2,  1908. 

"Oudini,"  the  mysterious  wonder,  a  second  Houdini,  in  mag- 
netic gifts,  will  appear  and  give  exhibitions  at  the  Park  Square 
Rink  this  week.  By  his  mysterious  power  he  has  mastered  all 
locks,  bolts,  bars  and  straps.  On  Monday  night  he  will  be  hand- 
cuffed, chained  and  shackled,  and  in  the  presence  of  all  will 
free  himself. 

On  Tuesday  afternoon  and  evening  he  will  be  placed  in  a 
mail  bag  and  handcuft'ed  and  locked  within  the  bag,  the  lock 
used  being  of  the  Corbin  variety.  On  Wednesday  afternoon  he 
will  be  locked  within  a  galvanized  iron  boiler. 

He  is  free  to  all  challenges,  and  invites  inspection  of  all  his 
properties  in  his  acts.  He  will  give  exhibitions  each  afternoon 
and  evening. — Boston  Post,  Feb.  2,  1908. 

"Oudini,"  who  claims  to  be  a  worthy  rival  of  Houdini,  will 
give  exhibitions  of  his  mysterious  power  every  afternoon  and 
evening  this  week  in  the  Park  Square  Rink.  He  will  free  him- 
self from  handcuffs,  chains,  and  all  manner  of  shackles  in  full 
view  of  the  audience..  Tuesday  he  will  escape  from  a  mail 
pouch  in  which  he  has  been  securely  locked. 

Wednesday  afternoon  he  will  submit  to  being  locked  in  a 
galvanized  iron  boiler,  with  the  cover  set  down  tightly  and 
fastened  with  nuts  and  bolts. — Boston  American,  Feb.  2,  1908. 

"Oudini,"  the  handcuff  expert,  will  appear  at  Park  Square  Rink 
'afternoons  and  evenings  during  the  week.  Claiming  to  be  pos- 
sessed of  magnetic  gifts  that  enable  him  to  free  himself  from  all 
bolts,  locks  and  bars,  he  challenges  any  person  witnessing  his 
act  to  lock  handcuffs  upon  him.  He  has  a  series  of  acts  ar- 
ranged for  the  coming  week  that  cannot  but  startle  the  most 
sceptical. 

Each  afternoon  and  evening  will  witness  a  different  perform- 
ance, with  more  difficult  acts  added  to  the  weekly  program. — 
Boston  Post,  Feb.  3.  1908. 


THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES  75 

"Oudini's"  act  yesterday  at  the  Park  Square  Rink  was  a  thril- 
ler, and  continues  to  be  as  mystifying  as  all  of  his  performances 
have  been  the  past  week.  "Oudini"  was  locked  securely  in 
a  coffin  and  escaped  from  it  without  even  disturbing  the  seals 
which  had  been  placed  upon  the  screws  in  the  lid.  Marvelous 
is  the  power  of  this  young  fellow.  He  has  released  himself 
from  locks,  handcuffs,  bolts,  bars,  chains,  and  every  contrivance 
that  has  been  brought  to  him.  His  escape  from  a  large  boiler 
riveted  with  three-inch  bolts  and  sealed  as  an  extra  precaution, 
has  been  his  most  mystifying  act  of  the  week.  His  challenges 
have  brought  out  many  home-made  contrivances,  as  well  as 
the  best  kind  of  locks,  bars,  and  chains,  but  nothing  holding 
the  young  man. 

Representatives  from  different  machine  shops  and  boiler  works 
have  witnessed  the  act,  and  all  go  away  amazed  at  the  perform- 
ance. "Oudini"  appears  afternoons  and  evenings  the  rest  of 
the  week. — Boston  Traveler,  Feb.  7,  1908. 

"Oudini  the  Great"  is  the  popular  phrase  on  the  streets  since 
this  man  struck  this  town,  and  if  ever  words  were  true,  these 
certainly  are.  He  is  by  far  the  most  wonderful  man  of  his 
kind  ever  seen  in  this  city,  for  the  acts  which  he  performs  are 
certainly  equal>  if  not  superior,  to  any  one  of  his  class.  Last 
evening  he  again  had  the  crowd  guessing,  and  one  and  all  went 
away  with  serious  thoughts  as  to  the  way  he  got  out  of  the 
mail  pouch  after  he  had  been  shackled,  chained  and  locked  in 
the  mail  bag.  Yesterday  afternoon,  after  he  had  been  put  in 
the  bag,  a  young  man  went  upon  the  stage  and  asked  them  to 
put  on  a  Yale  lock  which  he  had  in  place  of  the  Corbin  variety. 
At  first  "Oudini"  thought  it  was  unfair  for  this  to  be  done 
to  him  after  he  had  been  put  in  the  bag,  but  when  the  young 
man  said  that  he  was  "squeaHng"  he  consented  to  use  the  Yale 
lock,  was  again  locked  up,  put  in  the  bag,  and  after  a  delay  of 
five  minutes  he  apepared  much  fatigued,  but  at  the  same  time, 
one  of  the  happiest  men  in  the  city.  There  are  all  kinds  of 
challenges  being  received  at  the  theatre  box  office  these  days. 
To-night  he  performs  one  of  the  most  difficult  acts,  when  he 
will  be  put  in  the  huge  iron  tank,  which  will  be  riveted,  and  will 
prove  to  all  when  he  steps  on  the  stage  that  he  is  certainly  one 
of  the  wonders  of  the  century.  There  is  nothing  but  the  best 
heard  about  the  New  Orpheum  these  days,  and  the  theatre  is 
gaining  a  reputation. — Haverhill  Gazette,  Feb.  12,  1908. 

There  is  no  phrase  which  exactly  tells  how  "Oudini"  does 
his  amazing  tricks  in  such  a  short  space  of  time.  Escaping  from 
jail,  from  handcuffs,  from  packing  cases,  from  trunks,  from  all 
kinds  of  seemingly  impossible  barriers,  he  has  mystified  hun- 
dreds at  the  New  Orpheum  this  week,  and  of  all  who  have  had 


Id  THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 

the  pleasure  of  beholding  him  at  work,  none  have  been  able  to 
fathom  the  alacrity  with  which  he  breaks  away  from  all  ties. 

Last  night  the  main  act  was  escaping  from  a  boiler,  which 
had  been  securely  bolted,  riveted,  and  declared  utterly  impos- 
sible by  the  hundreds  in  the  audience.  The  young  man  entered 
the  boiler  with  a  smiling  face,  but  those  who  saw  him  considered 
it  impossible  for  him  to  get  out  alive.  No  such  unhappy  end 
was  in  waiting  for  the  wizard,  however,  for  it  was  not  long 
before  he  stepped  to  the  footHghts,  tired,  looking  somewhat  fa- 
tigued, but  with  the  proud  knowledge  that  he  had  conquered. 

Henry  Lamieux  had  a  pair  of  handcuffs  which  he  declared 
no  man  could  get  out  of.  "Oudini"  was  the  man  on  the  spot, 
for  with  a  few  twists  and  a  few  more  turns,  he  loosed  his  wrists 
from  their  bonds  and  received  the  plaudits  of  an  appreciative 
audience. 

To-night  an  act  which  no  one  but  a  dead  man  has  ever  at- 
tempted will  hold  the  boards,  for  "Oudini"  will  escape  from  a 
coffin,  and  those  who  have  not  seen  him  should  not  miss  this 
opportunity.  Challenges  are  coming  in  thick  and  fast,  some  of 
them  being :  From  C.  W.  Foster  to  get  out  of  a  piano  box,  also 
challenges  from  the  five  and  ten-cent  store,  Simonds  &  Adams, 
and  from  the  shippers  in  Winchell's. — Haverhill  Gazette,  Feb.  13, 
1908. 

"Oudini  the  Uusurpassed."  But  there  is  no  phrase  which 
exactly  tells  how  this  wonderful  man  from  Boston  does  his 
amazing  tricks  in  such  a  short  space  of  time  in  escaping  from 
jail,  from  handcuffs,  from  packing  cases,  from  trunks,  and  from 
all  kinds  of  seemingly  impossible  barriers.  "Oudini"  has  mys- 
tified hundreds  at  the  New  Orpheum  this  week,  and  of  all  who 
have  had  the  pleasure  of  beholding  him  at  his  work,  none  have 
been  able  to  fathom  the  alacrity  with  which  he  breaks  away 
from  the  ties. 

Last  night  the  main  act  was  escaping  from  a  boiler  which 
.had  been  securely  bolted,  riveted,  and  declared  utterly  impassable 
by  the  hundreds  in  the  audience.  The  young  man  entered  the 
boiler  with  a  smiling  face,  but  those  who  saw  him  considered  it 
impossible  for  him  to  get  out  aHve.  No  such  unhappy  end  was 
in  waiting  for  the  wizard,  however,  for  it  was  not  long  before 
he  stepped  to  the  footlights,  tired,  looking  somewhat  fatigued, 
but  with  the  proud  knowledge  that  he  had  conquered. 

Henry  Lemieux,  a  local  man,  had  a  pair  of  handcuffs  which 
he  declared  no  man  could  get  out  of.  The  crafty  "Oudini"  was 
the  man  on  the  spot,  for  with  a  few  twists  and  a  few  more 
turns  he  loosed  his  wrists  from  the  bonds  and  received  the 
plaudits  of  an  appreciative  audience. 

To-night,  an  act  which  no  one  but  a  dead  man  has  ever  at- 
tempted will  hold  the  boards,  for  "Oudini"  will  endeavor  to 
escape  from  a  coffin,  and  those  who  have  not  seen  this  wonder- 


THE  GREAT  MYSTERIES  77 

ful  man  should  not  miss  the  opportunity  this  evening.  Chal- 
lenges are  coming  in  thick  and  fast,  some  of  thern  being :  From 
C.  W.  Foster  to  get  out  of  a  piano  box,  also  challenges  from  the 
five  and  ten-cent  store,  Simonds  &  Adams,  and  from  the  ship- 
pers at  J.  H.  Winchell's.— //az;^rA///  Record,  Feb.  13,  1908. 

Accepting  the  challenge  issued  by  "Oudini,"  who'  is  performing 
at  the  Orpheum  the  shipping  clerks  at  J.  H.  Winchell  &  Go's,  shoe 
factory  say  they  will  furnish  that  gentleman  with  a  box  next 
Tuesday  evening  and  will  bring  it  to  the  theatre  at  any  hour  the 
management  may  decide  upon.  The  only  condition  that  the 
clerks  make  in  accepting  the  challenge  is  that  no  one  handle  the 
box  up  to  the  minute  that  "Oudini"  steps  into  it.  This  they  con- 
sider a  reasonable  request  and  they  await  an  acceptance. — Haver- 
hill Gazette,  Feb.  15,  1908. 

There  is  great  popularity  and  applause  greeting  "Oudini,"  the 
mystifier,  who  is  appearing  at  the  Orpheum  this  week.  Last 
night,  before  one  of  the  largest  crowds  of  the  week,  the  hand- 
cuff king  escaped  from  a  wooden  packing  case,  six  by  four  feet, 
after  it  had  been  securely  nailed  and  fastened.  Everyone  was 
astonished  at  the  great  act,  which  he  challenged  anyone  to  dupli- 
cate. Tonight  the  novel  feat  of  getting  out  of  a  paper  box  will 
be  attempted  by  the  wizard. — Haverhill  Gazette. 

"He  is  certainly  a  wonder."  This  was  the  phrase  that  was 
heard  on  all  sides  last  evening  at  the  New  Orpheum  of  those 
Xvho  were  able  to  gain  admittance  to  the  theatre  to  see  "Oudini." 
The  news  that  he  was  to  perform  in  this  city  spread  like  wild- 
fire, and  so  great  was  the  crowd  that  it  was  impossible  for  all 
to  gain  admittance,  and  many  had  to  retreat  and  will  no  doubt 
be  at  the  theatre  this  evening  to  see  him.  He  did  all  kinds  of 
tricks  yesterday,  and  one  of  the  first  was  getting  out  of  Patrol- 
man Sullivan's  handcuffs.  These  were  placed  on  him  by  Patrol- 
man Ryan  of  the  night  force,  and,  although  he  had  a  hard  time, 
he  was  out  of  them  in  exactly  nine  minutes.  Last  evening  he 
got  in  some  of  his  finest  work.  He  was  handcuffed,  chained 
and  shackled  by  Officer  Kelly,  and  after  four  minutes'  time  he 
was  out  of  them,  to  the  surprise  of  the  crowd.  Tonight  he  is 
due  to  get  out  of  a  United  States  mail  bag,  but,  besides  being 
locked  in  the  bag,  he  will  also  be  shackled  and  chained  by  mem- 
bers of  the  audience.  He  has  a  pair  of  handcuffs  which  Patrol- 
man Denoncour  says  he  cannot  get  off,  and  these,  he  claims,  he 
will  get  out  of  this  evening.  The  patrolman  has  told  many  that 
nobody  has  ever  been  able  to  get  out  of  them,  and  doubts  if  he 
ever  will.  Another  feature  already  mentioned  is  that  Harry 
Lemieux  has  another  pair  of  handcuffs  which  three  handcuff 
kings  have  been  unsuccessful  to  get  out  of,  and  he  says  that 
he  knows  he  will  not  be  able  to  get  out  of  them.     He  has  ac- 


78  THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 

cepted  the  challenge  and  will  take  them  off  Wednesday  evning 
at  8  o'clock,  at  which  time  two  members  of  the  police  force  will 
put  them  on  him. Haverhill  Gazette. 

"Oudini,"  the  handcuff  wonder  of  the  age,  will  appear  at  Park 
Square  Rink  afternoons  and  evenings  during  the  week.  Claim- 
ing to  be  possessed  of  magnetic  gifts  that  enable  him  to  free 
himself  from  all  bolts,  locks  and  bars,  he  challenges  any  person' 
witnessing  his  act  to  lock  handcuffs  upon  him.  He  has  a  series 
of  acts  arranged  for  the  coming  week  that  cannot  but  startle 
the  most  sceptical.  This  afternoon  and  evening  he  will  be  placed 
in  a  mail  pouch,  and  before  being  locked  in  this  pouch  or  bag, 
he  will  cause  himself  to  be  shackled  and  handcuffed.  In  due 
time  he  will  free  himself  from  the  bag  and  appear  unhandcuffed 
and  unshackled.  "Oudini"  will  be  locked  in  an  iron  boiler  and 
also  in  a  coffin,  in  different  performances. — Boston  Post. 

"Oudini  week  at  the  Orpheum."  That  item  is  enough  to  fill 
the  house  to  the  doors  at  every  performance  and  if  the  noted 
handcuff  wonder  gets  the  houses  that  he  got  all  last  week  in  Bos- 
ton the  New  Orpheum  will  not  be  able  to  hold  the  large  au- 
diences. This  man  is  perhaps  one  of  the  world's  greatest  wonders, 
and  the  acts  which  he  will  do  are  nothing  more  than  marvellous. 
He  does  things  that  to  all  appear  to  be  an  uncertainty.  His  first 
act  will  be  at  8  o'clock  this  evening  when  he  will  be  handcuffed, 
chained  and  shackled  by  anybody  in  the  audience.  He  will  then 
get  out  of  the  chains,  etc.,  in  a  most  simple  manner  but  at  the. 
same  time  in  such  a  way  that  it  will  mystify  all.  He  will  give 
another  performance  at  9  o'clock  when  he  will  repeat  the  same 
act.  The  next  entertainment  by  him  will  be  at  3  o'clock  Tues- 
day afternoon  when  he  will  be  put  in  a  mail  bag  which  will  be 
locked  with  one  of  the  famous  Corbin  locks.  This  is  a  big  attrac- 
tion for  the  theatre  and  while  it  was  at  a  big  cost  to  get  him  here 
the  management  are  only  trying  to  get  the  best  entertainment 
2iV^{\dh\^.— Haverhill  Gazette,  Feb.  10,  1908. 

"Oudini."  Were  you  one  of  the  many  at  the  theatre  last 
evening?  H  you  were,  you  were  certainly  repaid  for  going,  as  all 
seemed  to  have  a  smile,  but  at  the  same  time  a  mysterious  look 
as  to  the  way  that  he  got  out  of  the  casket.  Now,  tonight  he 
has  some  other  big  feats,  and  the  kind  that  will  j)lease  you,  make 
you  happy  and  send  you  home  perplexed.  Just  take  a  stroll  to 
the  cozy  theatre  and  see  him  get  out  of  a  box.  You  have  seen 
him  do  other  things,  but  this  is  the  best  one  of  all.  Do  you 
want  to  assist  in  putting  him  in  it?  Well,  you  can  if  you  so 
desire,  and  then  you  can  make  sure  he  won't  get  out.  Remember, 
there  are  only  two  more  nights  of  the  GREAT  OUDINI.— 
Haverhill  Gazette,  Feb.  14,  1908. 


THE  GREAT  MYSTERIES  79 

"Oudini!"  Has  he  got  you  guesssing?  Well,  you  don't  know 
what  you  are  missing  if  you  don't  see  this  man.  He  is  the 
wonder  of  the  age.  It  was  great  to  see  hin)  get  out  of  the  tank 
last  night.  And  he  let  some  of  the  fellows  in  the  audience  rivet 
on  the  lid!  That  didn't  cut  any  ice.  He  got  out  just  the  same. 
It  took  him  some  time,  but  he  proved  that  he  is  there  with  the 
goods.  And  say.  Did  you  see  Henry  Lemieux  last  night  after 
"Oudini"  got  out  of  his  handcuffs?  Somebody  said  that  he 
jumped  the  town  he  felt  so  bad  after  all  the  talk  he  has  made 
about  "Oudini"  not  being  able  to  get  out  of  them.  Didn't  the 
audience  enjoy  it?  Well,  I  guess  they  did,  the  way  that  they 
applauded  him.  But  tonight  is  the  event  of  the  week.  He  is 
going  to  be  put  in  a  casket  and  the  lid  is  going  to  be  rivited  on. 
Now,  you  can  help  if  you  desire,  and  then  see  how  you  will  feel 
when  he  comes  out  and  shakes  hands  with  you.  Nuf  sed. — Hav- 
erhill Gazette,  Feb.  12,  1908. 

"Oudini !"  Tell  the  truth  now — don't  you  think  this  man  is  a 
wonder?  He  certainly  has  them  all  beat.  "Bill"  Denoncour  has 
got  the  blues  today, — "Oudini"  got  out  of  his  handcuffs  in  two 
minutes  last  night, — it  was  a  treat  for  the  packed  house  to  be 
sure.  They  locked  him  up  in  a  cell  at  the  police  station  last 
night, — They  said  he  never  would  get  out, — It  was  cell  No.  2,  one 
of  the  best  at  the  station, — He  came  out  and  shook  hands  with 
the  fellows  in  26  minutes — what  do  you  know  about  that?  Well, 
come  up  tonight  and  see  him  get  out  of  the  big  boiler  tank, — He 
will  be  riveted  in, — You  can  do  the  riveting  if  you  desire, — Then 
wait  and  see  him  come  out, — that  is  what  counts,  and  they  all 
leave  with  the  same  remark :  "He's  a  wonder."  Henry  Lemieux 
says  that  his  handcuffs  will  halt  "Oudini,"  tonight.  Come  and 
see  if  they  do.— Haverhill  Gazette,  Feb.  12,  1908. 

"Oudini."  Have  you  seen  him?  No?  Well,  if  you  haven't, 
drop  around  tonight  and  be  prepared  for  the  surprise  of  your 
life.  Talk  about  your  stunts.  He  puts  John  L.  in  the  shade. 
All  the  cops  in  this  burg  were  fooled  by  the  little  fellow  at  the 
theatre  around  the  corner.  He  had  'em  all  guessing.  Take  her 
down  this  evening,  but  keep  this  pipe  under  your  lid — "Oudini" 
has  the  berries.  You  should  have  seen  him  escaping  from  the 
big  box  last  night.  Nothing  to  it.  Go  on  the  stage  if  you  want' 
to,  you  can  fix  him  in — then  keep  your  weather  optic  peeled — 
he'll  get  out.  Now,  you  wise  ones,  get  next;  grasp  this  chance 
and  step  in. — Haverhill  Gazette,  Feb.  15,  1908. 

Just  gaze  upon  these  features,  the  most  noted  man  in  the  world ! 
The  great  handcuff  king,  "Oudini,"  the  man  who  has  set  the  folks 
of  Haverhill  talking.  The  only  man  who  ever  got  out  of  a  locked 
cell  at  the  local  police  station.  Come  up  tonight  and  see  him  get 
out  of  a  casket.     No  locks  in  this — it  will  be  screwed  in  and 


86  THE   GREAT  MYSTERIES 

stamps  put  over  the  tops  in  order  to  seal  them.  You  can  as- 
sist if  you  desire.  He  has  fooled  thousands.  See  if  he  can  fool 
you.  Another  surprise  for  you  tomorrow  night.  Come  up  and 
see  him  get  out  of  a  box.  You  can  tie  it  up  in  as  many  knots 
as  you  desire.  Nevertheless  he  will  get  out  and  you  will  never 
even  have  an  idea  as  to  what  a  wonder  he  is  until  you  come 
and  see  him. — Haverhill  Record,  Feb.  13,  1908. 

"Oudini"  the  handcuflf  wonder  will  be  at  the  theatre  all  this 
week.  Come  and  see  how  easy  he  gets  out  of  the  handcuffs  and 
shackles  tonight  at  8.30.  He  will  get  out  of  a  mail  bag  at  3.00, 
8.00  and  9.00  o'clock  tomorrow.— Haverhill  Gazette,  Feb.  10,  1908. 

"Oudini"  the  man  who  performed  to  the  biggest  crowd  in  the 
history  of  the  theatre  last  night,  will  get  out  of  a  mail  bag  this 
evening,  after  being  chained  and  shackled.  Hfe  will  also  get  out 
of  a  pair  of  Patrolman  Denoncour's  handcuffs — Bill  says  he  can't. 
Come  up  and  see  him.  Henry  Lemieux  says  that  he  has  a  pair  he 
can't  get  out  of — "Oudini"  says  he  will  Wednesday  night  at  8.30. 
There  are  all  sorts  of  challenges  coming  in  at  the  box  office — 
Have  you  one?  If  so  send  it  in.  Remember  the  time — 3.30  p.  m., 
8.00  p.  m.  and  9.00  p.  m.— Haverhill  Gazette,  Feb.  11,  1908. 

PROGRAM  USED  AT  PARK  SQUARE,  FEB.  3,  1908. 

"Oudini"  week  at  the  Rink. — Monday  afternoon  and  evening, 
Feb.  3,  The  Mysterious  Wonder  will  be  handcuffed,  chained  and 
shackled.  Come  and  see  how  easy  he  gets  out  of  them.  He 
challenges  any  person  in  the  audience  to  lock  them' on  him. 

Tuesday  afternoon  and  evening,  Feb.  4,  "Oudini"  will  be  hand- 
cuffed, locked  and  strapped  in  a  Mail  Bag.  The  lock  used  in 
this  act  will  be  one  of  the  famous  Corbin  locks. 

Wednesday  afternoon  and  evening,  Feb.  5.  This  is  the  only 
act  of  its  kind  ever  presented  to  the  public.  He  will  be  placed 
in.  a  galvanized  iron  boiler,  made  by  the  Riverside  Boiler  Works. 
It  is  riveted  and  made  to  hold  one  hundred  gallons  of  water, 
such  as  is  used  in  any  of  the  large  hotels  in  the  world.  The 
cover  sets  inside,  and  it  will  be  fastened  together  with  two- 
inch  bolts. 

Thursday  afternoon  and  evening,  Feb.  6.  "Oudini"  will  be 
placed  in  a  coffin,  the  cover  will  be  secured  and  fastened  with 
three-inch  screws,  a  seal  of  a  United  States  stamp  will  be  placed 
at  the  head  of  each  screw. 

Friday  afternoon  and  evening,  Feb.  7.  "Oudini"  will  be 
nailed  in  a  wooden  packing  case,  6x4  feet.  His  manager  will  be 
on  the  stage  to  challenge  any  person  in  the  audience  to  dupH- 
cate  this  act. 

Saturday  afternoon  and  evening,  Feb.  8.  "Oudini"  will  startle 
you  ;  he  is  going  to  get  into  a  paper  box ;  it  will  be  tied  up  with 
ropes.     You  are  invited  to  come  up  on  the  stage  and  tie  him  up. 


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(510)642-6753 

•  1-year  loans  may  be  recharged  by  bringing 
books  to  NRLF 

•  Renewals  and  recharges  may  be  made  4 
days  prior  to  due  date, 

DUE  AS  STAMPED  BELOW 


MAY  2  k  1997 


APR  28  1997  MH 


12,000(11/95) 


